Residents in the Clay Village area were rocked back on their heels Monday afternoon when Mark Stiff, the owner of the Bluegrass Country Depot and a vibrant community leader, was found dead in his truck, the victim of a massive heart attack.

Stiff, 53, had in five years made the Country Depot and himself beloved and essential parts of this small community by offering what residents called good food and a social atmosphere where the community could bond.

The Shelby County Rockets wore their away whites, but they didn’t leave the county. Collins played host to what was likely the largest crowd ever to watch a high school football game in the county -- a packed house.

Both schools treated the contest almost as if it were a home game, with both bands performing at the half and the dance teams even doing a combined performance. And fans tailgated for hours before the game and waited in long lines to enter.

Incumbent school board member Doug Butler has his eyes fixed squarely on the goals for Shelby County Public Schools.

Butler, who took over in 2007 when Paul Goodlett resigned from the board, wants to continue pushing the district to reach those goals set here and nationally.

"I want to continue to be a part of a great public school system that puts children first on the path to excellence," he said. "I believe in giving back to Shelby County by serving in this community that I so much respect and enjoy."

With three children in school and two more that are not yet old enough, Andrew Cline has decided it's time to get even more involved.

Cline is already a member of the Simpsonville Elementary School Site-Based Decision Making Council, along with being on several other local, regional and national boards, but he said he is ready to take that next step.

"I feel it is important to have a parent with school-aged children as a representative on the board," he said.